YUBA COUNTY
Biographies
WILLIAM HENRY RUSS
Among the industrious and thriving orchardists of the Tudor section of Sutter County is William Henry Russ, who owns a seventeen-acre peach orchard two miles southeast of the town. This place was unimproved land when he purchased it in 1911; he set about to level it, and since then has developed it into one of the finest peach orchards in this section of the county. Born in Germany, April 12, 1878, he is a son of Henry and Mary (Schuler) Russ, both natives of the same country. Henry Russ passed away when our subject was only two years old, and the next year the mother brought her two children to California and settled in Sutter County; she, too, passed away in 1890.
William Henry Russ came to Sutter County when about four years old, and was early thrown on his own resources and obliged to paddle his own canoe. He worked on a ranch in Yolo County and attended public school there. When twelve years of age he returned to his home; but his mother died soon afterwards. Mr. Russ then made his home with Mrs. Margaret Bossen and worked for her until he became twenty-one, after which he worked on ranches for ten years. Then, having saved his money carefully, he purchased his present place of seventeen acres in 1911, and set it out to Johnson cling peaches, which are now in full bearing. The orchard is carefully pruned and cultivated, thus being kept in splendid condition, so that it is one of the show orchards of the locality. Mr. Russ is a member of Wilson Farm Center of the Sutter County Farm Bureau. He is liberal and enterprising, and is always ready to do his part in community affairs, aiding any worthy object that has for its aim the upbuilding of the county and the enhancing of the comfort and happiness of its people. Mr. Russ is a Republican in politics. Fraternally he is a member of Yuba City Lodge 185, I.O.O.F.
History of Yuba and Sutter Counties, Historic Record Company, Los Angeles, 1924
p. 767
HENRY HOLST
Widely known as a highly respected citizen, and one who has made a decided success of the orchard business in Sutter County, is Henry Holst, who since 1881 has resided on his quarter-section of land ten miles south of Sutter City; ten acres of which have been set to vineyard and thirty-five acres to orchard. He was born in Hanover, Germany, March 23, 1850, a son of Henry and Margaret (Bock) Holst. Henry Holst, Sr., manufactured a kind of fuel from peat land, and also engaged in farming in Germany. Eight children were born in his family: Marie, Henry (of his review), Margaret, Peter, Richard, Rebacca, Johnny (deceased), and an infant who died at birth, when the mother also passed away at the age of thirty-eight. Later, Henry Holst was married to his wife’s sister. He died at the age of sixty-eight years.
Henry Holst, Jr., received his education in the public schools of Germany. At the age of nineteen he came to New York City, and there and at Brooklyn he found employment in grocery stores for twelve years.
In 1879, Mr. Holst was married to Miss Mary Liebold, also a native of Germany. Mrs. Holst passed away in Sutter County, on July 14, 1882; and on October 14, 1887, Mr. Holst was married the second time, being then united with Miss Mary Ropers, who was born in Hanover, Germany, a daughter of Henry and Margaret (Shoemaker) Ropers. Henry Ropers was a provision supply agent for shipping companies at Hamburg, Germany; he lived to be seventy years old, and the mother of Mrs. Holst passed away at the age of thirty-six. Mr. and Mrs. Holst are the parents of three children: Harry Louis, who died on September 5, 1923; Anna, who is now Mrs. McJenkin; and Flossie, now Mrs. Maupin. Mr. Holst came to California in 1881 and began to work for his uncle, Louis Holst, who had come to California in 1859. Louis Holst took up a quarter-section of government land ten miles south of Yuba City, and this became the property of our subject, who has deeded twenty acres to his son-in-law Mr. McJenkins, and fifteen acres to his other son-in-law, Mr. Maupin. Mrs. McJenkin has three children: Barbara, Raymond, and Doris; and Mrs. Maupin has one son, Theodore. In politics, Mr. Holst is a Republican. In religious belief, the family are Lutherans; but they attend the community church at O’Banion Corners.
History of Yuba and Sutter Counties, Historic Record Company, Los Angeles, 1924
p. 767-768
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